Surimi or formed fish has been produced in Japan for about a thousand years. Only recently has surimi appeared in North American supermarkets as imitation crab legs, lobster chunks, shrimp, and scallops. North American surimi is typically produced from lean white fish, such as pollock or whiting.
Low value animal muscle (e.g., from fatty pelagic fish or poultry bone residue) is usually undesirable as a source of food for human consumption. After processing, the isolated protein is often characterized by unattractive textures, dark colors, and strong flavors, often as a consequence of membrane lipid oxidation.